Heh, you too huh? Coriander (what we Aussies call cilantro) would have to be my favourite herb. The fresh smell and taste of it is intoxicating. Personally I think some herbs should be illegal, they are too addictive.
Chicken, Coriander and Lime Soup
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2 medium sized chicken breasts
2 teaspoons celery salt and black pepper
1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
4-6 fresh limes, juiced
2 fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 brown onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 celery stalks (optional)
fresh red chillies, seeded and diced (to taste)
1 tablespoon red capsicum, diced
1.75 litres (7.5 cups) chicken stock
Method:
Dice the chicken breasts into 2 centimetre cubes. Saute in olive oil with celery salt and pepper until cooked.
In a large soup pot, saute onion, garlic, and chillies for 5 minutes on medium-high heat. Add celery and cook another 5 minutes.
Add chicken, tomatoes, capsicum, chicken stock, and the juice from the limes (vary lime quantity depending on how juicy limes are and how tart you want the soup to taste).
Bring to a boil, reduce to very low simmer and add chopped coriander. Keep warm for 20 minutes before serving.
Serve with thin slices of lime on top.
Tortilla Soup with Chicken and Lime
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4 corn tortillas
1 tablespoon peanut oil
6 cups of chicken stock
400g. can of tinned tomatoes with juices
2 bay leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 boneless chicken breast, cut into 1cm. wide strips
4 spring onions, sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Preheat the oven to 180°c.
Using half the oil, brush 1 side of the tortillas with oil then stack them and cut them in half. Stack the halves and cut slice into 5mm. strips. Spread the strips on a non-stick oven tray and bake until they are light golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack and cool.
Heat the remaining oil in a saucepan and add the bay leaf, garlic, cumin and red pepper flakes and sauté gently until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken strips and toss in the hot pan until the chicken has changed colour and is opaque. Add the stock and tomatoes and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in the spring onions, coriander and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the soup in deep bowls with tortilla strips. Serve some Picco di Gallo (recipe follows) for a true Mexican experience.
Serves 4-6.